Methanex enters partnerships in Amsterdam, South Korea

Executive Summary

• Methanex Corp. has launched global methanol bunkering operations by establishing strategic partnerships in two key maritime hubs: the ARA (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) region and South Korea.
• In the ARA region, Methanex is partnering with TankMatch to provide barge-to-ship methanol bunkering, leveraging logistics expertise from its acquisition of OCI Global.
• In South Korea, Methanex is collaborating with Alpha Maritime and Hyodong Shipping to enable last-mile bunkering operations, aiming to support the maritime industry's transition to low-carbon fuels.

Key Details

• ARA Region Partnership: Methanex partnered with TankMatch, a regional expert in inland waterway fuel logistics, to provide safe, barge-to-ship methanol bunkering.
• OCI Acquisition Integration: The ARA partnership builds on a previous arrangement between OCI Global and UniBarge, which Methanex assumed through its acquisition of OCI, thereby boosting capacity to serve marine customers in the area.
• South Korea Partnership: Methanex is working with Alpha Maritime and Hyodong Shipping to facilitate last-mile bunkering operations in South Korea, a key maritime hub in Asia.
• Safety and Logistics: Methanex is leveraging its subsidiary, Waterfront Shipping, which operates the world's largest fleet of methanol-fuelled tankers, to provide a comprehensive methanol bunkering safety package and technical guidance based on international protocols.
• Strategic Goal: The partnerships aim to provide a fully integrated, end-to-end methanol fuel solution to support the maritime industry's decarbonization efforts in two of the busiest global trade corridors.

Notable Quotes

• "These partnerships allow us to safely and reliably fuel ships with methanol in two of the busiest global trade corridors that are pivotal to maritime decarbonization," said Mark Allard, Methanex's senior vice-president of low carbon solutions.
• "Through this collaboration, we are proud to deliver reliable last-mile methanol bunkering services that give shipowners practical solutions to help their transition to cleaner shipping," said J.R. Cho, marketing manager of Alpha Maritime.
• "Korea is a key maritime hub in Asia, and Hyodong Shipping is pleased to leverage our methanol bunkering expertise in collaboration with Methanex to provide shipowners with trusted, ecofriendly fuel solutions. This partnership will serve as a catalyst in positioning Korea as a critical hub for the transition to low-carbon shipping," said Injun Ko, chief operating officer and vice-president of Hyodong Shipping.
• "This partnership allows us to apply our expertise in inland waterway fuel logistics to accelerate the safe adoption of methanol bunkering in the ARA region," said Andre Nieman, chief executive officer, TankMatch.